On Friday night, the Golden State Warriors dropped their sixth game in the last seven this NBA season, falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Chase Center. Head coach Steve Kerr was visibly frustrated with the Warriors’ offensive execution and addressed the issues in his postgame comments, coinciding with mounting speculation that the franchise might be eyeing a star to elevate the team’s offensive play.
“We couldn’t get organized,” Kerr said in the press conference. “We played a solid first quarter offensively, scoring 31 points, but after that, we were out of position too often. It led to us playing one-on-one against a great defensive team—best in the league last year. They’ve held the Lakers and Clippers to around 80 points the past two games.”
Despite finishing the first quarter tied at 31, the Warriors struggled to break through Minnesota’s defense in the second half. In both the second and fourth quarters, they failed to reach 20 points, allowing the Timberwolves to pull away for a decisive lead.
“They’re finding their way defensively. So we have to execute better, it’s simple as that,” Kerr said. “22 turnovers is not going to cut it. And if we went through and looked at them, which I will obviously tonight. I don’t think that many of them were forced. I think most of them were poor spacing, which led to difficult one-on-one situations for our guys,” Kerr concluded, ”Spacing has got to be better.”
The Warriors’ performance
The Golden State Warriors entered the 2024-25 NBA season with one goal in mind: to chase another championship. With Stephen Curry still in his prime and Draymond Green anchoring the defense, the team got off to a strong start, quickly establishing themselves as one of the most competitive squads in the Western Conference.
However, recent weeks have brought a series of setbacks that have hampered their momentum. Injuries to key players and unexpected dips in performance have taken a toll on the Warriors’ record, which currently stands at 13-9.
Do the Warriors need reinforcements?
Amid these struggles, rumors have intensified regarding the Warriors’ pursuit of a superstar to bolster their roster and help propel them back to the top of the NBA. “I’m told that the Warriors are on the real hunt for a star. A playmaker and a scorer alongside Stephen Curry,” Shams Charania reported on NBA Today. “This summer, they pursued Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz, and they made a pitch to Paul George with the Clippers.”
Charania also noted that the solution could potentially come from within. “The debate with the Warriors and the teams who look into their situation is if they are going to find it outside the roster or will it be in-house with a player like Jonathan Kuminga.” Whether through a trade or internal development, one thing is clear: the Warriors will need to improve their overall play if they intend to be serious contenders this season.